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So you wanna use Spheres of Might
So there you are, trying to think of a new character design for Oustomia. Part of you wants to be a martial, slashing and smashing people with all sorts of various weaponry or even your bare fists. But, as you imagine rising up the ranks and leveling, you find yourself feeling...bored. There are only so many times you can tell your gm that you “full-attack” before you start wondering if there is something more to Pathfinder than this. Some people compensate for this lack of variety by using magic. Others try to use combat maneuvers and are often disappointed when enemy CMDs rise faster than their CMBs. If only there was some way to get more variety out of your traditional martial… Introducing Spheres of Might. Spheres of Might is a system just for martials that gives them more options in combat. You’ll be doing more than just full attacking. You’ll be shoving your lance through enemies to hold them in place, using alcohol to enhance your strength, making your enemies blind from their own blood dripping in their eyes...and much more! If you want the variety and “problem solving” potential of a spellcaster without having to go to the dark side and use spells, Spheres of Might is the perfect system for you. It should be noted that this page is meant as a supplement to as opposed to a replacement of the Using Spheres of Might page. I will be assuming that you are familiar with various Spheres of Might terms, such as "talents," and that you know enough about the base Pathfinder game to know your CMBs from your CMDs. If you need to, brush up on those before moving forward. Buying In Hold on there partner. Not just anyone can use Spheres of Might! You don't see fighters casting wizards spells do you? By the same token, no wizard can use Spheres of Might talents, you feel me. Just like how high level spells require certain classes and abilities, so to do Spheres of Might talents. So before you can start pulling off some really cool maneuvers, you have to go through a process I like to call "buying in" to Spheres of Might. First things first, a few ground rules. Classes with spells cannot use Spheres of Might without an application. Yes, that includes your Paladin who you never plan to use a single spell for. Application only on the forums. High level spellcasters, such as a wizard, should never expect to be able to join the exclusive Spheres of Might club. Get out of here wizards! Second, if you have two classes that acquire talents as they level (such as a conscript and a striker) you only acquire talents from one side. This being a gestalt game, if you were able to get talents from both classes, you'd pretty much have access to just about all of them. So how does one acquire Spheres? Well, there are four methods. # Play a Spheres of Might class. Currently we allow the Conscript, the Striker, the Armiger, the Commander, the Blacksmith, and the Sentinel from Spheres of Might. In addition to having access to talents, these classes are all pretty unique and worth checking out. (Technician and Scholar are currently banned for various reasons) # Play a Spheres of Might archetype. For instance, there is an archetype for the Barbarian called the Berserker that gives up rage powers for talents. Now, why anyone would willingly sacrifice rage powers for anything is beyond me, but this is one of many options worth exploring. # By sacrificing feats. Refer to the Using Spheres of Might page for an idea of what this looks like, but essentially you sacrifice your feats from leveling for some talents. (Application only). # Sacrifice spells in exchange for talents. Great option for classes like the Paladin or Bloodrager that want to focus more on martial techniques. (Also by application only). Now, once you've selected your method of acquiring talents, let's take a look at some of the new toys you get to play with. The Spheres There are 23 Spheres from which to choose from. Now, what is a Sphere you may ask? Spheres are sets of various talents that give you new abilities in combat. For instance, the Guardian Sphere has abilities that involve drawing enemies to you or setting up attacks of opportunity, perfect for a tank! As such, for each talent you acquire as you level, you can use it to acquire a Sphere and it's base ability, or a talent that further enhances that ability. For instance, one talent placed in the Guardian Sphere lets you penalize enemies for ignoring you by issuing a challenge while further investment can do things like allow you to issue a challenge as a swift action. As a general rule of thumb, one talent is never sufficient to get the most out of any sphere. Most of them take substantial investment, but there are a few that might be worth a dip. Let's go through the Spheres. You will quickly notice that most spheres are tied to certain maneuvers (such as Bull Rush or Sunders) or other techniques common for martials (such as setting traps). As such, there are very few things that only a Spheres of Might character can do. * Alchemy - Ideal for poisoners and other users of alchemical items. If you're a wannabe mad scientist, this is a perfect sphere for you to look at. ** Worth a dive if you want to make the most out of poisons. Worth a dip if you just want to apply a little surprise to your weapons or traps. * Athletics - This is an odd sphere that gives you more options while running, flying, climbing, or swimming. Great for mobile characters or certain types of games. ** Worth a dive if you're a character who plans to do any of the above listed things often. Worth a dip if you're looking for certain associated feats like charging hurler. * Barrage - Like rapid shot, but without requiring you to remain stationary. If you are a shooter who prefers "quantity" over "quality," this is the sphere for you. ** Worth a dive if you are a dedicated ranged attacker. Worth a dip if you just want a bow as a backup option. * Barroom - Give me a hell yeah! If you're all about drinking beer and hitting people with random objects, this is the sphere for you. Finally, a use for improvised weapons. ** Worth a dive for real men who plan to do a lot of drinking and who are content thinking on the fly, never knowing what their next weapon will be. Worth a dip for unarmed strikers looking for the drunken brawler talent or those who want a boost to an ability score through miracle drink. * Beastmastery - Come my animal friends! If you like having an animal companion as strong as a regular pc or wish to tame a small army of squirrels, this is your godsend. ** Worth a dive if you want to focus more on your companion(s) than your own pc. Worth a dip if you just want to make them a bit stronger without overshadowing your pc. * Berserker - If you like having the hp of a barbarian or the ability to sunder, well, every single piece of enemy equipment you come across, you might just be a berserker. ** Worth a dive if you care more about hp than ac and plan to sunder a ton. Worth a dip if you just want more hp or access to cleave. * Boxing - For the patient brawler, one who prefers to ready devastating uppercuts than just go all out on each attack. Ideal for fighters who like to wait for the perfect opportunity to strike. ** Worth a dive if you want to set up some nice combos with other spheres. Worth a dip if you want access to shoulder roll as a counter attack. * Brute - Ideal for battlefield controllers who want to bull rush, drag, or reposition people right where they want them. Great for those with high cmbs. ** Worth a dive if you plan to use these maneuvers, well, just about every turn and have ways to pull them off consistently. Worth a dip '''if you are looking for an easy way to regain martial focus (more on that later). * Dual Wielding - A great option for those who prefer to use two weapons, even if they don't have dexterity! Remember that this does not stack with two weapon fighting and counts as an '''attack action (more on that later). ** Worth a dive for dedicated dual wielders. Worth a dip if you just want to get two weapon fighting without investing in dexterity. * Duelist - For those who like to take their enemies weapons away or just make them bleed. Adds all sorts of new debilitating effects for those who are bleeding. ** Worth a dive for those who intend to make use of disarm and their enemy's blood frequently. Worth a dip if all you want is cut from the air. * Equipment - A unique sphere that gives you both weapon proficiencies and new ways to make use of certain pieces of equipment, such as throwing weapons or gauntlets as a shield. ** Pretty much any spheres user will dip into this one. * Fencing - For masters of finesse as opposed to brute force. If you want to employ feints or are looking to parry, this is the sphere for you. ** Worth a dive for those looking to make their enemies flatfooted consistently (note that the extra damage applies to attack actions. So no, you did not just find a way to double your sneak attack damage). Worth a dip if you want a weaker version of the Swashbuckler's parry (more on that later). * Gladiator - Primarily focused around intimidation, Gladiators love to boast about their most recent deeds in combat. For those who think that the true battle is won in the mind, look no further. ** Worth a dive for those who wish to make use of intimidation in combat. Worth a dip for vital strikers looking for a way to earn rerolls. * Guardian - Building a tank but find that enemies ignore you? This is a great sphere for those who have high ac and want to protect their squishy allies, or those who have a long weapon and want to set up patrols. ** Worth a dive for defensive fighters comfortable taking some damage. Worth a dip for those just looking for the base abilities without any desire to strengthen them. * Lancer - Looking for ways to hold a slippery enemy down? Lancer is ideal for those who can consistently hit their enemies...at least once. Does not even require a lance, contrary to the name. ** Worth a dive for those looking for new and exciting ways to torture spellcasters, or those who want to hold enemies down with a reach weapon. Hard to recommend dipping, this ones takes investment. * Open Hand - The perfect sphere for wannabe monks and other unarmed strikers. Provides a lot of useful options for anyone who prefers to rely on fisticuffs and make frequent use of trips. ** Pretty much a mandatory dive for any unarmed spheres striker. Not worth a dip otherwise. * Scoundrel - For those who are sneaky and want to make use of the steal and dirty trick maneuvers. Great for sneak attackers. ** Worth a dive for those who want to reliably set up sneak attacks or take stuff from their opponents. Worth a dip for those looking for an alternative to parry (Countertheft). * Scout - The abilities surrounding this sphere are heavily inspired by the Slayer's Quarry ability and involves studying foes and scanning surroundings. Perfect for, well, a scout. ** Worth a dive for those who plan to make use of stealth and perception to see their enemies while remaining unseen. Worth a dip if you somehow don't have uncanny dodge yet. * Shield - Requires a shield and gives a whole new slew of options with it. Make enemies regret attacking you with devastating counters to both melee and ranged attacks, or protect allies. ** Worth a dive for shield users (note that a shield bonus alone does not qualify you for this sphere). Worth a dip for shield users who somehow still have crappy ac and just want punchblock. * Sniper - One shot, one kill. For those who prefer to make every shot count and don't ever intend on missing, this is a great option. ** Worth a dive for those who rely more on one very powerful attack as opposed to, well, a bunch of attacks. Worth a dip '''for unblockable if you're sick of your shots being cut from the air or deflected. * Trap - An underappreciated sphere. If you have a chance to prepare for fights, this is a great sphere with some options that can really screw anyone who doesn't make perception checks. ** Worth a '''dive for those who want to set up elaborate traps for their foes. Worth a dip '''if you want to place traps...but not very often. * Warleader - An interesting mixture of both a bard's passive buffs and the cavalier's tactician ability. Great for those who prefer a more supportive role while remaining a martial. ** Worth a '''dive for commanders. Essentially, that class is required to. Hard to recommend a dip unless you just have a party that needs an easier way to set up flanks. * Wrestling - Whatcha gonna do brother, when the martial runs wild on you? For grappler extraordinaires who wish to focus on taking down their foes, this is an ideal option. (Highly recommended that you find a way to deal with freedom of movement if you take this sphere) ** Worth a dive for dedicated grapplers. Worth a dip for unarmed strikers who plan to only occasionally use this maneuver. Other Concepts There are a few other terms you should be familiar with before exploring Spheres of Might. Those are "martial traditions," "the battered condition," "martial focus," "associated feat," "legendary talents" and overpowered and "attack action." * Martial traditions are unique sets of proficiencies that can be taken by Spheres of Might classes and archetypes. Essentially, they determine what weapons and armor you can use, and usually consist of two equipment sphere talents and a few other thematic talents or feats. We do not currently allow custom martial traditions, though one kind soul was kind enough to make some tied to the Oustomia regions. * Certain talents inflict what is called the "battered" condition to foes, which can leave them more open to maneuvers. You know how you need certain feats, such as improved trip, to use maneuvers without risking an aoo? No longer! Just batter your opponent. * Martial focus is a resource all Spheres of Might users make use of. It is unique in that you only have one (or two with the feat Greater Focus) at a time. Many of your more powerful maneuvers rely on this resource. Thankfully, there are a lot of talents that allow you to regain it easily, even in the middle of combat. ** A note that martial focus can only be regained once '''a round. This is particularly important for the Sphere of Might's parry from the fencing sphere. At max, with the greater focus feat, you can parry '''3 attacks, and that's if your attack rolls succeed each time. Swashbuckler still is and always will be better. * Associated feats are feats and talents that have overlapping functions. Typically, the talent and the feat are interchangeable, and the Spheres user counts as having both the talent (if they bought in to Spheres) or the feat for whatever purposes they require. * Attack action. If you are full attacking while using spheres abilities, there is a very good chance you are doing it wrong. '''Attack action, in spheres of might terms, is a '''standard action. This is why many Spheres of Might users consider vital strike pretty much mandatory for those using this system. Consider it a feat tax. * Legendary talents are abilities that may fit right in for some games, but less so with others. Some are just silly and, for lack of a better term, "anime" such as the ability to swing your sword so hard you open a teleportation portal. Others are broken, like the ability to use a vital strike for every attack. Legendary talents are all by application only. Meet the Spheres of Might Classes * The Conscript is essentially the fighter of the Spheres of Might system, acquiring a dizzying amount of feats and talents for use. Essentially a "build a class" that gives you a lot of options based on what abilities you are interested in acquiring, though at the cost of feats. Great for those who want variety, but remember that just because you have a sphere doesn't necessarily mean that you are able to pull off the maneuver successfully. * The Armiger. You know how most martials seem to focus on just one weapon? This class allows you to have a diverse array of weaponry in the form of your "custom weapon." An interesting option for anyone who likes to use a diverse array of weapons in combat. * Blacksmith. An interesting class that specializes in enhancing the equipment of their allies and breaking those of their enemies. Provides interesting and unique options to sunder builds. A very neat option that is becoming more common as people realize how cool it is to sunder natural armor. You likely won't land the killing blow...but you may be the one who creates the opening your ally needs. * Commander. What? A support class? Without spells? For those who see themselves as tacticians and want to trade their actions to allow other pcs to do more. Need just one more fireball or vital strike to finish off a foe? The commander is a very interesting class that stands out even without Spheres. * Sentinel. An exceptionally tanky class that, between the self healing and the challenge, feels a lot like a Paladin that is focused less on smiting evil from this planet and more on taking hits so their allies don't have to. A great option for wisdom based characters who want to tank. * Striker. For a more complex Brawler, look no further than the Striker. Tension is a complicated mechanic to keep track of, but if you master it (or just get to a high enough level where it is no longer worth keeping track of), then this is a powerful class with some neat options. Though, you may still find yourself wishing that you had flurry of blows. ** The Scholar is currently not allowed as it was capable of exceptionally high healing at a low level and the technician raised a lot of complicated questions about constructs. ** Archetypes for these classes are free to use without application. Unique Feats For a full list of the feats allowed through Spheres of Might, look here. These are free to use without an application. I won't go through them all, but there are a few that players should be aware of in my opinion. * Muscular reflexes is essentially combat reflexes, but uses your strength modifier instead. Pretty much mandatory for strength builds. It won't do much to make strength comparable to dexterity, but hey, it helps, especially as many spheres require the use of attacks of opportunity. * Dragon and Zodiac tattoos are interesting ways for unarmed strikers to enhance their skin like armor or their fists like weapons. Dragon tattoo in particular seems like an excellent alternative to the Amulet of Mighty fists. Useful Sphere Combinations Chances are that, regardless of which class you choose, you will only be able to make proper use of a few spheres on each character. That is because most spheres involved investment in order to be made useful. For instance, the shield sphere is a great option to make your character more defensive, but to truly get the most of it, you will need several talents from the same sphere. There are a few exceptions to this rule, such as taking parry from the fencing sphere, but by and large, you will need to pick and choose for your character. So what combinations of spheres go right together? These recommendations are far from the only possible combinations in Spheres of Might, but they should get you started if you are a novice to the system. * The Uber Tank (Guardian Sphere + Shield Sphere) - The main problem with tanking in Spheres of Power is that it is very difficult to get enemies to focus on you as opposed to your allies. The guardian sphere helps to alleviate that by actively penalizing enemies who choose to focus on someone else other than yourself. As for the shield sphere, that helps you to survive these enemy attacks once you've made yourself their primary source of frustration. * One Shot, One Kill (Fencing Sphere + Sniper Sphere) - Did you know that you can combine the damage from fatal thrust and deadly shot? You can. Make your vital strikes much more powerful by adding as much damage as you can to it. The best part? It stacks with sneak attack damage. Make sure that once you take aim, your enemies stay down! * Take Their Wallet Too (Scoundrel Sphere + Wrestling Sphere) - '''This one is less about the individual spheres themselves and more about the overall direction of your character. The Scoundrel Sphere is actually very useful, but few people use it based on what I've seen. However, the ability to steal from your foes goes great with an unarmed build that generally has its hands free! Pair it with heel tactics for something that will leave your foe grappled, blinded, and penniless all in the same action. * '''Solid Snake (Scout Sphere + Trap Sphere) - This combination is far less about brute force and more about using your surroundings to your advantage. Scout Sphere helps you with stealth, particularly the "Lurker" talent, which helps you to avoid some of your enemies special senses. Meanwhile, the trap sphere allows you to set up obstacles for your enemies. This may be hard to make work in certain sessions where prep time is unavailable, but traps can be devastating when prepared properly. For added fun, add in the Alchemy Sphere to add poison to your traps. * 'Sunder EVERYTHING (Berserker Sphere + Open Hand) -' A great combination for Blacksmiths who want to destroy the armor of their enemies, be it natural or steel plate. The shattering palm allows for more sunders in a single round. Combine with something along the lines of Smashing Style, and you have a devastating combination that will severely weaken your foes. * 'The Weapon Thrower (Berserker / Dual Wield Spheres + Equipment Sphere) -' Throwing weapons are a notoriously difficult option to make effective use of. Thankfully, Spheres of Might has a few options that make it much easier. Simply take Throwing Mastery from the equipment sphere to have your weapons bounce back towards you (making enhancing your throwing weapons a less costly endeavor) and combine it with either a pair of weapons with the Dual Wield Sphere or one large weapon with Barbaric Throw from the Berserker sphere and you can be effective at any range. * 'The Battlefield Controller (Alchemist Sphere + Warleader Sphere) - '''You may be under the impression that Spheres of Might characters are all focused around vital striking and fighting in melee. Not true! Use the Alchemy Sphere to debuff foes and heal allies from a distance and the Warleader Sphere to buff your allies all at the same time. It's almost like you're playing a caster. * '''Stone Cold (Barroom + Open Hand) -' Being drunk and punching people is a terrible idea in real life, but a great idea in Pathfinder. Use Miracle Drink to boost your attack bonus and combine with Drunken Boxer to make your punches hit considerably harder. Plus, since your hands are free, you have the option of improvising a shield should you suddenly find yourself in danger. Overcoming CMD One of the biggest problems I see people having with Spheres of Might is how they handle enemies with higher CMDs. While I am personally not a fan of arbitrarily high CMDs (it's basically the same frustration casters may have with an opponent who has very high Spell Resistance), it is something that you are likely to run into. So how do we overcome high CMDs in order to suplex a dragon? Well, here are a few ideas you may wish to take into account when designing your build to make your martial more effective. * Remember that '''all bonuses to attack '''apply to your CMB. What does this mean? It means that class features such as the Fighter's Weapon training, Inquisitor's Judgement, rage powers and mutagens all help to ensure that when you grapple, trip, sunder, or use some other maneuver on a foe, your attempts are more likely to succeed. * Barbarians and Monks make great gestalt options for Spheres of Might classes for this very reason. Barbarians can make use of both Strength Surge and Reckless Abandon to boost their CMB checks to pretty obscene levels. Monks have a similar ability for certain combat maneuvers via some of their abilities like Ki Sunder. * Did you know that being flat-footed (I.e. losing dex to ac) also lowers an enemy's cmd? As such, any options for making this happen (such as feint or going invisibile) are helpful for pulling off combat maneuvers. * Spells that boost your attack bonuses also boost your CMDs. Even if you're not playing a caster, it may be useful to acquire scrolls for spells like Heroism or Bit of Luck to boost it at high as need be. Alternatively, make friends with a caster so you don't need to do it alone. * Size increases help to boost both your cmb and cmd, and are never a bad option for a martial to have. Using templates, spells, rage powers, and other options to increase your size can help to ensure that your maneuvers generally succeed. * Remember that other, more simple options, such as flanking can even help to boost your cmbs. It may be a smaller bonus, but when it comes to things like grapple checks, every little bit you can get helps! * Be drunk! The miracle drink from the Barroom Sphere can help you to boost your strength, which may make all the difference! Plus, it's an alchemical bonus, meaning that it stacks with pretty much everything (even the mutagen has never been specified as an alchemical bonus). * There are also some items that increase CMB. Check out the cloak of disarming, gauntlets of the skilled maneuver, the dueling enchantment for magic weapons, and other options to push your bonus as high as possible! * Having trouble hitting big targets? Thankfully, Spheres of Might actually has options for helping you with that. Check out the Giantslayer and Titan Breaker feats to help make combat maneuvers more effective against larger foes and make their size more of a detriment than anything else. A word of caution though. Certain combat maneuvers can essentially end fights on their own. For instance, if you grapple and pin an opponent, the battle is essentially over if they have no options of escaping. As such, no matter how high you push your CMB, remember that gms can just push the CMD of their enemies higher if they wish to limit such options! So be reasonable and use these options wisely.